Dezeen Magazine

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

OMFGCO updates branding and interiors for Hawaii's Laylow Hotel

Design agency OMFGCO has overhauled and restored a hotel in Waikiki, drawing inspiration from Hawaiian mid-century modernism to create a lush getaway.

OMFGCO, a design consultancy based in Portland, was originally tasked with producing a new branding concept for the Laylow Hotel, which originally opened in 1969 as the Coral Reef Hotel.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

The team's idea was to return to the essence of mid-century design, and create a jet-set inspired getaway from the busy streets of Waikiki.

Moving the existing lobby to the second floor and away from the street was one of the key ways to achieve this.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

The client, Rockbridge Hotel Development, then decided that it would be worth updating the ageing hotel's interiors to match OMFGCO's branding.

"When the existing interior design team declined the challenge, Rockbridge asked us if we would take on the interiors ourselves," OMFGCO said.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

This was the agency's first experience with such a large and diverse scope of work. "Up to this point, we'd branded several hotels throughout the country, but we'd never gone further than working with an interiors firm, weaving brand and art moments into their solutions," they added.

A covered escalator leads up from Kuhio Avenue to the new lobby, which serves as the focal point of the redesign. Locating this area upstairs made it possible to add four guest rooms on  the ground level, and made the lobby more of a central gathering space.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

"OMFGCO populated the public spaces with a combination of their own original furniture designs and curated items," according to a statement from the hotel.

These include vintage lounge chairs and bar stools, colourful terrazzo countertops, and a long accent wall made of breeze blocks designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

Throughout the hotel, floral wallpapers complement live plants that grow abundantly in the area. The interior finishes and furniture within the rooms are brighter than the public spaces, but use a similar selection of vintage pieces.

Other Hawaiian influences that informed the project include outdoor lounge areas within a bar with sand floors, and a saltwater swimming pool shaded by bamboo canopies.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

By undertaking the concept, branding, artwork, and interior design aspects of the project, OMFGCO aimed to create a continuous experience throughout the hotel.

"The result is a cadenced, carefully choreographed experience that deepens along the way, through the reception area, pool, bar, restaurant, elevator lobby, corridors, and guest rooms," the agency told Dezeen.

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO

Also in Waikiki, BHDM used bright colours for furniture and finishes when updating the Shoreline Hotel to create the state's "the most instagrammable" accommodation.

Photography is by OMFGCO unless otherwise indicated.

More images and plans

Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO
Laylow Hotel by OMFGCO